Celebration of Champions Thanks Players, Coaches for Historic Season

WHAT: Fans of the UMass Lowell River Hawks men’s ice hockey team – including the public, university leaders, students, faculty and staff – will come together for the Celebration of Champions to salute the team at the close of its most successful season in program history.

The River Hawks captured the Hockey East regular-season and tournament championships before winning the NCAA Division I Northeast Regional tournament and advancing to the team’s first appearance in the Frozen Four, where they competed for the Division I national championship earlier this month.

The winning season also saw Head Coach Norm Bazin receive the American Hockey Coaches Association Spencer Penrose Division I and the Hockey East coach of the year awards. It is the second consecutive year Bazin has been named Hockey East Coach of the Year; he is the only coach besides Jack Parker to win the honor back to back.

Speakers at the event, which will include a brief recognition of the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings, are scheduled to include Bazin, university leaders and a member of the hockey team. Players will be presented with individual honors. The program, which will include some surprises for fans, will be followed by a reception in the LowellBank Pavilion. To thank fans, team members will sign autographs and be available for photos with the Hockey East regular-season and Lamoriello trophies. Players will also join in a free public skating session on the Tsongas Center ice at 4 p.m.